‘Dark Money’ in Beltway coffers

It’s a new week, and that means the New Yorker and New York magazine have new coverage on President Trump.

The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, best known for exposing the Kochs in her book “Dark Money,” does an 11page dive into the thoughts and wisdom of secretive financier Robert Mercer, a Trump backer who heads the quantitative hedge fund Renaissance Technologies. She interviews those who have, and are, working for Renaissance who say Mercer believes people who have more money have more value, and those on welfare are of little use to society. The implication is Mercer’s views are influencing the president.

Elsewhere, a second political feature sounds the alarm, detailing how the Democrats are unlikely to take back the Senate no matter how Trump fares. It details how 25 of the 34 Senate seats up for election next year are held by Dems.

New York does a good job humanizing Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway as it digs through her roots. She was a 16-year-old beauty queen, and seems enamored of the president, having only one book on her White House office bookshelf, Trump’s “Art of the Deal.” She comes off as a fiercely loyal soldier rather than a mind who’s interested in shaping policy.

Time’s cover story “Beyond He or She” tackles the growing number of young transgender people. Good topic, but we would have liked more about the psychology behind the trend.

A look at how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and far-right French candidate Marine Le Pen are gaining momentum effectively shows the growing fear of Muslims.

Through charts, the mag also breaks down the new government health care plan. Thirty percent of those between 50 and 64 years old who earn less than $30,300 a year would be without health insurance by 2026.